Posts by Island Man

8

can someone give me thier opinion on matt 11 11?

by sowhatnow in

i dont get it.. who is being spoken about?

first of all wouldnt moses be greater that john the baptist?

and yet im greater than john?

Island Man

That whole passage of scripture from Matthew 11:7 to Matthew 11:15 is about using John's noteriety to sell the appeal of being in the kingdom of the heavens.

In verse 11, Jesus is essentially saying to his audience: "But as impressive as John is, keep in mind that a less impressive one in heaven is still greater than John is."

Upon hearing this some of Jesus' disciples might be saying to themselves: "Well if John is the greatest of those born of women and he's still inferior to a lesser one in heaven, then who am I to be exerting myself to enter this kingdom? Who could possibly qualify? I don't stand a chance!"

Jesus tries to thwart such likely negative reasoning with his statement in verse 12:

"But from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of the heavens is the goal toward which men press, and those pressing forward are seizing it." In other words: "despite your thinking that's its impossible to qualify many men have being seeking it and they will succeed. So don't think that its impossible for you to qualify. Just exert yourself"

So Jesus was essentially using the fame of John to impress upon his audience that being in the kingdom of the heavens is something that they should crave even more than John's fame and spiritual standing. It's as if he's saying: 'You think John is impressive, do you? Well then reach out for the kingdom of the heavens because the glory and favor of a lesser one in such a position is even greater than theglory and favor that John currently has. So reach out for it and you can have it!"

Watchtower has overthought the verse to make it seem like Jesus was saying John wouldn't be in heaven. But that's not the point Jesus was making. If John would go to heaven he would then be greater than he was when on earth. So the comparison can't be seen as an indication or revelation that John wouldn't go to heaven. Jesus was comparing the standing of someone already in heaven with John's then impressive standing on earth. To illustrate the folly of Watchtower's reasoning. Imagine if Jehovah had told Samuel that the glory that the glory and raiment of a king is greater than that of the shepherdboy David. Would that have meant that David would not be appointed as king? No.

11

Monotheists my ass!!!

by Crazyguy in

we have been taught that the hebrews were monotheists believing and worshiping in only one god, except for those times when they sinned and worship pagan idol gods.

their one true god is yahweh / jehovah.

comparing the book of genesis with older sumerian and babylonian writings what do we find?

Island Man

The findings at Ugarit certainly pulled the curtain on Yahweh, revealing his true, Canaanite origins.

75

My Parents have gone FULL CULT MODE! Having a job is SATANIC!

by BU2B in

jw
friends

to give a little background, my parents are in their late 50s.

around a year ago, my elder dad got laid off from his job.

he worked as a auto mechanic making ok money.

Island Man

BU2B, My advice to you is to talk to the elders in their congregation. Let the elders know that they have become unbalanced. Let the elders know that they are refusing work that is necessary to meet their needs - work that still allows them to attend all their meetings and pioneer - while their savings are quickly dwindling! Tell the elders about your Father's crazy comment about the job opportunity being from Satan. Hopefully the elders will offer them some counsil on the need to be more "balanced".

4

The Nature of Watchtower's Response to JWs Re Their Involvement With The UN ...

by Island Man in

... is perfectly captured in this song:.

[verse 1].

maggy darling, sugar dumpling.

Island Man

So true, punkofnice! Man did not descend from monkeys. He descended from an Ape ancestor.

4

The Nature of Watchtower's Response to JWs Re Their Involvement With The UN ...

by Island Man in

... is perfectly captured in this song:.

[verse 1].

maggy darling, sugar dumpling.

Island Man

... is perfectly captured in this song:

[verse 1]
Maggy darling, sugar dumpling
Don't get so mad
Please let me explain
Doo doo darling, sugar dumpling
Don't get so mad
Please let me explain

If you see me with some woman
I doh (don't) want you misunderstand
Whatever you might see me do
Know my love is true
I'm not being unfaithful to you

De (The) woman you catch me with in de bed
Really didn't have no place to rest she head
Business close down, she lost she wuk (work/job)
Disappointed, suffering from shock
So ah (I) take she home just relax and cheer she up
And exhausted she said to me
'Boy ah so tired and so sleepy'
Casually she sat on de bed
And ask me to massage she leg
That's all, that's is all, that is all

[verse 2]
Trouble makers will spread rumours
For confusion, oh no doh take dem (them) on
Just be trusting and doh dig nothing
Try and understand
I'll never do you no wrong

Darling you I'll never deceive
There is no need to disbelieve
Keep your trust and your faith in me
And I promise you there'll be no infidelity
De lady you saw me with de other night
She and she husband just had a fight
Ah find it was really looking so bad
How de hell she clothes was in de yard
She sit down dey (there) and start to cry like she going mad

De two thousand dollars ah give to she
Was to buy a sandwich and a coffee
Not another ting (thing) eh (ain't) happen
Me and de gyul (girl) eh in nothin[g]
That's all, that's is all, that is all

[verse 3]
Let nobody cause you to be jealous and confused
Doh mind dem and their news
Dey want we to mash up
So dey could come and shack up
And when you refuse
We'll be like two fools singing the blues

Doo doo, why these women doh stop
Always try to set me up
Trying to give you de impression
Somethings wrong when my darling nothing eh going on

De gyul ah was with behind de lamp-post
Doh get vex cause ah was holding she clothes
She's ah old tief (thief) from in de east
Is somebody ear-ring she tief
Ah was only trying to hold she for de police

De reason me hand was in she bosom
Ah was feeling to see if she had a gun
She didn't have no gun by she chest
Is why ah was searching under she dress
That's all, that's is all, that is all

[verse 4]

Just because I am such ah nice guy
Somewhere, somehow it always leave me in row
Helping people, seem to be my trouble
Ah seeing it now
No more will it be allowed

From now on dey go ("dey go": they're going to) help deyself (themself)
Give their problems to someone else
Is too much rancor and confusion
And ah know to mehself I am an innocent man

Ah know dey go tell you me and Miss Leach
Was seen making love on Maracas Beach
Well de fact dat (that) she had on a bikini
And was attacked by African bees
And very bravely I cover she with meh whole body
Well she lock meh neck and she grab meh hand
And with dat she pull meh down in de sand
A bee sting meh (me) on meh (my) behind
Ah couldn't help it, ah had to grind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLfJbeo2suk

LOL

17

My Experience In Getting A Loved One Out

by notsurewheretogo in

this is my own experience so i'll share it in that it might help others.

this may not work for others but it seems to be working for me.. .

a little background...i'm happily married and 3 years ago i was an elder and my wife was a pioneer, we have 3 kids.

Island Man

That's great. Another great method that might work is the planned planting of seeds with the intention that they will be watered at the kingdom Hall later. What you do is you look ahead to what topics will be discussed at their meetings in upcoming weeks. You single out a false, extreme or otherwise objectionable point that you notice in the upcoming material. Then, in conversation with the JW, without mentioning the material, you make logical points that undermine the point in the material or that will expose it as extreme or wrong. The seed is planted. When the JW has the meeting and the pertinent material is being discussed, it will remind hopefully remind him of the points you made exposing the reasoning in the material as wrong. The seed is watered. Do this enough times and soon the JW will begin to see the flaws in the religion and start questioning and doing independent research that will hopefully wake him up.

Here's an example of how this can be done:

At last week's Watchtower study, the following point was made:

"For example, the July 2009 Awake! suggests that if a classmate asks: "Why don't you believe in evolution?" you could simply reply: "Why should I believe in evolution? Scientists don't even agree on it, and they're supposed to be the experts!" - The Watchtower, September 15, 2014 page 16, par 18.

This is clearly misleading and fallacious reasoning. Scientists are in agreement on the fundamentals of evolution. They differ only on gray areas related to the evolution of some individual species, for which there's not much data available yet. That they differ on minor side issues, is not sound reason to disbelieve the fundamentals of the theory of evolution, for which there is much evidence and wide concensus. So the above quoted material is an example of Watchtower using false reasoning and training children to use false reasoning. So imagine you have read this material in advance of the meeting and you have opportunity to speak to a JW. You could strike up a conversation something like this:

"You know, Sis. Dub-fire, this guy at work was telling me that he doesn't believe the bible. So I ask him why. He says to me:

'Why should I believe the bible? Not even religious people can agree on what it means, and they're supposed to be the experts!'

So I say to him:

'But bible-believers do agree on the fundamental points made in the bible, things like: God created all things, there's only one true God, Jesus is God's son, Jesus died so that our sins can be forgiven, Jesus was resurrected, etc. The things they disagree on are mostly things that aren't made explicitly clear in scripture. Look, there are many things that scientists don't agree on in every detail but that doesn't mean its not true. For example, scientists may not all agree on the true, fundamental nature of light - whether its ultimately a wave or a particle - but that is no reason to disbelieve the existence of light, is it?'

What would you have said to someone telling you they don't believe the bible because religious people don't agree on it and they're supposed to be the experts?"

So you get the JW thinking about how this guy at work is using false reasoning. You even get the JW to think of how he/she can refute such false reasoning - you get them mentally invested, to take ownership of the logic that refutes such false reasoning! Thus the seed is firmly planted in the JW's heart. Now imagine what happens a week later at the Watchtower study when he reads identical false reasoning in Watchtower material! It would seem eerily familiar somehow and he will be able to spot that the reasoning is false! The meeting would have essentially germinated and watered the seed you planted!

Just a word of caution though: one should avoid doing the conversation with the JW, too soon before the material is covered, as the JW may have already studied it in advance and may catch on that you're trying to discredit the publication on the sly. It's best to have the conversation no less than one week before the material is covered. Even if the JW forgets the conversation he had with you, his mind would have been trained and prepped to see the material as being questionable.

I call this method Preemptive Sensitization to Identify Cult Crap (PSICC (pronounced "sick") for short)

11

Thank Jehovah for Ipads!

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

seriously, i am so thankful that the org has officially allowed the use of ipads and tablets at the kingdom hall!.

it is the only thing that keeps me sane while sitting there....being able to log on to this site while pretending to follow along with the program!.

i think i would have literally lost my mind without this lifeline!.

Island Man

Hey, didn't the current Apple CEO come out as being gay? Maybe ToMo3 needs to prepare a new talk for next year's branch visits to tell JWs not to buy Apple products. I mean, who knows, maybe the form designs of Apple products turn on homosexuals? Maybe the Apple CEO gets turned on watchting people using Apple products. You didn't think of that now did you, ToMo3?

24

new neighbors

by Theredeemer in

jw
friends

so, my wife and i purchased a house about a month ago and recently we met our new neighbors.

they are an older couple.

they are very nice and even brought us cookies.. in conversation they brought up that they were mormons and mentioned how much they loved it.

Island Man

"@ searcher yeah I wondered how they would react if I go on detail about the cultishness of the JWs and maybe they would see the similarities."

Yeah! That's a wonderful idea. You can share with them your negative experiences and thoughts about JW culture that prompted you to leave. You can choose aspects of JW culture that mirror Mormon culture that way you'll actually be helping your Mormon neighbor to wake up to TTALDS without having to directly attack her religion.

14

207 mph 333 km/h ... on a Bicycle !

by Simon in

this is nuts and his must be huge!.

what happens when you bolt a jet engine to a bicycle?

you'd imagine "certain death" but you'd be wrong.

Island Man

It's not so remarkable when you consider the fact that what he has isn't that much different to a motor-bike. If you can put a motor on a bicycle, calling it a motor-bike, and achieve high speeds, it's not so remarkable to put a rocket or jet engine on a bicycle (calling it a jetbike?) and achieve high speeds. I mean, we already know the bicycle form can take high speeds because of the motorbike. Impressive, but not remarkably so.

36

"Jehovah's spirit is being blocked in the congregation"

by stuckinarut2 in

so, how many times have we heard this expression (or a variation of it):.

"jehovah's spirit seems to be blocked here in the congregation...perhaps he is bringing something to light...etc".

it seems that the org often uses this expression, and links it with the "fact" that god wont bless a cong as much,(or at all) if there is "stuff" or "sins" being carried out.. so, why is it then that the cong i am in is experiencing its best years of activity in all aspects?

Island Man

Block the free flow of holy spirit? I thought holy spirit was supposed to be the most powerful force in all the universe? How can anything block the flow of the most powerful force in all the universe? What kind of excuse for an Almighty God allows the actions of puny humans to thwart his power? What kind of excuse for a just God punishes a whole group for the hidden sins of an individual? What kind of petty God looks down from heaven and says:

"What! sis. Suzy Slut just slept with her fiance and no one else in the congregation knows about it?! That does it! I'm removing my spirit from that wicked congregation! They all deserve to suffer for her hidden, wicked sin!"